Stephen Curry’s career is straight out of a Hollywood movie. The son of a former NBA player, surprisingly, he didn’t blossom in the NBA right away. Injuries delayed him, but he eventually overcame the challenges and became the first unanimous MVP and greatest three-point shooter in league history. Every great story has some level of foreshadowing. Steph’s came while he was in college.
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Despite attending a mid-major in Davidson College, his role in the Wildcats’ Cinderella run in the 2008 NCAA Tournament propelled him to nationwide stardom. The 6-foot-2 guard captured the attention of many minor and major figures, among them LeBron James.
At the time, the Cleveland Cavaliers star decided to watch Curry live. Davidson was going up against Wisconsin in the Sweet 16. The game took place in Detroit, which was roughly an hour-long flight from Cleveland.
At the time, James was just a season removed from leading the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals. Typically, the presence of one of the biggest stars in the NBA would make a young player nervous, but Curry’s performance didn’t suggest that was the case at all.
“I went off, and, obviously, they would cut to him every time I hit a bucket,” Curry said on 360 With Speedy. “He was doing the animated celebrations and all that.”
The 3rd seed Wisconsin Badgers were the heavy favorites to win that game over 10th seed Davidson. Wisconsin was expected to advance, but Stephen Curry happened.
Curry exploded for 33 points along with 4 assists and 4 steals. The degree of difficulty on his shots was intense, yet he still shot 50% from the field. James had played against tremendous talent to that point in his NBA career, but he hadn’t witnessed a player with Curry’s skill set.
Unfortunately, the two weren’t able to meet personally during the tournament. However, destiny had intertwined their fates.
The following season, Davidson was about to face NC State. It was a midday game on the then-Charlotte Bobcats court. James happened to be playing against the Bobcats later that night. He used his free time to watch Curry play.
In hindsight, James made an excellent decision. Curry somehow had a greater performance than he’d had in the Sweet 16. “[LeBron] came to that game that afternoon and sat courtside. I dropped 40 something. That’s when I first met him,” Curry revealed.
When Steph dropped 44 with Davidson and made LeBron get out of his seat pic.twitter.com/dYu6OwkZqT
— Fastbreak Hoops (@FastbreakHoops5) May 6, 2025
Sorry, Mr. Curry, you dropped 44 points, to be exact. The performance was so great, James couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet Curry. Steph returned the favor later that night by watching James play. Afterward, James gave him a token of his respect.
“I came back to the game that night, and after the game, [James] came out of the locker room with a jersey. It said, ‘The king of basketball in North Carolina,'” Curry said.
Curry still has the jersey, but it remains stashed away in his father’s house. The interaction is quite wholesome but holds incredible weight, considering the role of both players in each other’s careers.
Curry went from a promising young player aspiring to reach James’ level to eventually becoming his biggest rival in the 2010s, while going head-to-head in four consecutive NBA Finals.
James and Curry remain very close friends and competitive rivals on the court. Life works in mysterious ways.
